


Between the lines

by HedaSophie, Misslane



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Air Force, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/F, Falling In Love, Librarians, Love, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-01-06 13:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12211911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HedaSophie/pseuds/HedaSophie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misslane/pseuds/Misslane
Summary: When Canadian Air Force soldier Nicole Haught and other pilots of her unit are deployed to England for a few months to train with pilots from other countries, Nicole has an afternoon off and decides to get to know the town in which they stay - Coningsby (Lincolnshire). She walks down High Street and stops at a small bookshop at the corner of Silver Street that catches her attention.This is where she meets Waverly Earp.This is where their story begins.But Nicole's time in Coningsby is limited. They both know that she will have to leave eventually.What happens when the one you love the most is the one that breaks your heart the most?Will the love be stronger than the miles that separate them?Maybe you should start to read between the lines.Wayhaught (Waverly Earp x Nicole Haught) ll AUStory idea: MisslaneWriter: HedaSophieBeta-Reader: FrancescaSevern (Twitter)Feel free to ask me about this fanfic: https://curiouscat.me/HedaSophie





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Misslane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misslane/gifts).



> Hello Earpers & all the people who just clicked on this by accident! 
> 
> This is my first Wayhaught fanfiction ever - that means the first time I ever wrote from Waverly's and Nicole's point of view.  
> It's gonna be a totally new thing due to the fact that I usually only write Clarke & Lexa... but we shall see how this works out!  
> The whole storyline / plot idea is from my lovely Misslane.  
> She had the idea and I am the one who got the honorable task to write it down!  
> (Thank you again love, for your trust and faith in me <3)
> 
> The whole Air Force thing is completely new for me and although Misslane really helps me out to get it all right I might still make mistakes with that and I already apologize for that! I hope you can forgive me with wrong facts and focus on the beautiful story between our two girls instead. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!  
> xxx

**Chapter 1 - Waverly Earp**

 

_Bookshop - 38 High Street, Coningsby (Lincolnshire, England) - in the morning..._

The tinkling bell at the entrance was activated the moment the petite woman stood on one of the ladders in the back area of the little bookshop. The shop, called "Another life", was exactly what people described as "small, but nice". Everyone from the village who came in said it was "their second home" or, "a place to let the soul rest". Whatever they called it, Waverly Earp loved her bookshop, and being surrounded by so many books. She loved the way Wynonna - her big sister - called it "fancy" though she was never a big fan of bookshops or libraries. It was true that the cosy and welcoming place was one of the more compact buildings on the street, but it was big enough to be filled with many shelves that included books of all topics and genres - something to read for everyone who needed it. The brown, wooden-coloured furniture, small corridors between the high shelves, dim light and, above all, the distinct scent of books everywhere, made this a special place to be. A place filled with adventure, wisdom, love, angst, heroes, villains, sadness, happiness and…. more adventures!

_It had been 2 years to the day since Waverly opened the shop. She had never had too many customers, just enough to cover the expenses. "Being the owner of a bookshop might never be a job you would become rich or famous with, but as long it’s your passion, it will make you happy, Babygirl," Wynonna had said to her on that day, and she was right. The smiling faces of those people who walked through her shop, finding a new adventure at every corner... were worth it. "Another life" was her baby and she was more than proud of it._

"Just a moment please", Waverly said loudly enough for the customer to hear, and placed the last two books in the gap on the shelf. "No worries, Waverly, it's me. I have the new book supply for you" was the short answer she got from Susan - Coningsby's most loyal and reliable delivery woman. Waverly jumped down from the ladder and walked around the corner. Her eyes lit up the moment she took in the package. "Great! I've been waiting for these treasures," she smiled brightly and started to open the parcel with a pair of scissors. Susan leaned herself on the counter for a minute and watched her. Waverly felt the curious gaze on her and started to change the topic, to keep the conversation going.

"Sooo... how's old nan Helen doing?" she asked, and swiped away her long and wavy hair. Wynonna was completely right, she should get it cut - and very soon. Waverly unpacked the first three books - a fantasy saga for the youths - and heard the other woman sigh in response. "Well... you know her, Waverly, she's getting older and more stubborn every day." Waverly nodded and they both exchanged an uncomfortable smile, followed by an even more uncomfortable silence. It was in that moment that Waverly realized how exhausted the delivery woman was. At least, she seemed to be exhausted. Susan had shadows under her eyes, and the wrinkles that used to give the her a friendly look as they supported her smile, made her look a lot older than the nearly 50 years she actually was. Waverly reached out to her, put one hand on her wrist and gently squeezed it. "If you want to, I will come over later and look after her. I could read to her again and give you a free afternoon? She always loves to hear stories about my customers, especially the ones from far away countries."   
Waverly saw her hesitating for a second. "You don't have to do that, Waverly", she started, but Waverly once again touched her hand. "I want to, really. Besides - today I wanted to close the shop a bit earlier anyway, so no worries. I'll be there around half past 3?" As Susan’s former tense attitude changed into a more relaxed one, Waverly knew that she had done the right thing. 

In Coningsby it was like that. People helped each other out. People knew each other.   
"You are what I call a true blessing from heaven itself, Waverly Earp," Susan said and put her bag over her shoulder. "Your parents would be really proud of you."  
Waverly faked a smile and ignored the sharp pain that hit her right in the heart. Her parents...

  
"Oh... one more thing. I promised to let you know everything about the news in town so here goes… There are a few new soldiers from other countries at the Royal Air Force Station, and I've heard from Frank that they are there to train. Well, I don't know about that, but you might want to be more careful at night.” Her facial expression was full of worry, but Waverly could not help but laugh. "Susan, the days of soldiers kidnapping the villagers is long gone." - "Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself. You never know what might happen! Coningsby wouldn't be the same without our little sweet Earp." Waverly knew it wouldn’t change her opinion one bit, so she simply smiled again. "I promise, oh, and by the way... nobody wants to mess with Wynonna anyway." That made both of them laugh. Susan eventually turned around, "I've got a few more deliveries, I'll see you later at old nan's place." Waverly waved her goodbye and the calming silence came back. It filled the bookshop with its usual atmosphere of being somewhere else...

When Waverly took the new books and returned to the back area to sort them, she was reminded of why she loved books so much again. They gave you the chance to literally travel everywhere, to all countries and places in the world and beyond that. Even to places like Hogwarts, Narnia, a faraway planet or a whole different universe full of unicorns.  _You're such a dork, Waverly Earp_ , she warned herself and smiled, but it was true. Books gave you all that, you didn’t need money, and you didn’t even need to leave the room. All you had to do was open the book and let the words create wonderful pictures in your mind, be a part of the story by watching the characters live their lives...

Book by book, Waverly put them into the right order while her thoughts drifted off more and more and finally reached the Air Force soldiers. She had to admit that she sometimes thought about how her life would be with a more adventurous job like theirs. A more dangerous one with more... thrills. The only thrill Waverly sometimes faced at work was when she had to climb to the top of the ladder to reach the highest bookshelf - ugh!, with her fear of heights, not really her favorite thing to do. Even Wynonna's cop job here in a small village like Coningsby brought more excitement. Then again, Waverly knew that everything happened for a reason, and everyone had his or her place in the world. While hotheaded Wynonna was the Earp who kicked the bad guys' asses, Waverly was meant to be the calm and smart bookworm in the background. 

...And that was totally fine. 

More than anything Waverly loved supporting Wynonna, listening to her stories and the way people talked about her as the village's hero who kept Coningsby a safe place. 

* * *

 

The morning went by faster than expected. Here and there a few tourists or villagers came in to wish her a nice day... but all in all it was a day like all the others before it. Around a quarter to 3pm, Waverly heard the door's bell once more. As was often the case, she was not at the counter, but instead busy unpacking the last books from the supply she had received that morning. "Hold on a second, I will be right there" she said loudly and took a deep breath. This high ladder...   
And then the ladder started to fall, but as Waverly saw herself falling, two hands grabbed and held it.

"I've heard of moving stairs in Hogwarts, but I never knew they created moving ladders for bookshops these days."

Waverly climbed down the ladder that was now fixed by the two strong hands, and looked up the second her feet reached the ground to get a better view of her savior. She almost forgot how to breathe, how to talk. The woman in front of her was really pretty, around her age maybe, and had remarkable ginger hair she wore in a french braid. The hair was a direct contrast to the brown and shiny eyes that were full of kindness. 

"Well... better take more care or they might attack", Waverly heard herself say and smiled. The woman smiled back even more brightly and nodded. "As a Gryffindor I might be able to deal with the danger", she answered and her bright smile turned into a grin before she chuckled. It was such a beautiful and heartwarming sound that Waverly didn’t want her to stop laughing. "I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught," she added, and reached out to shake Waverly's hand. Waverly took it and found herself smiling at the woman again. "Waverly Earp."

Nicole squeezed her hand for a short second and let go, dropping her gaze with a cute smile once more. "Let me guess, Waverly Earp... as the owner of this bookshop... and of course without any prejudice... you're a Ravenclaw." Both started to laugh at this statement as Waverly just nodded and dropped her gaze as well. When their eyes met again, Waverly found it hard to look away. Something about Nicole fascinated her in a way she could not describe. It was enchanting to meet her - even if Waverly knew that there was - unfortunately - no magic in the real world - at least not like that.

"Okay Nicole... how can I help you? I mean I don't think you came here to save me from the ladder, did you? Are you new in town? I've never seen you before... and let's just say I know the people who live here." Waverly could not help but be a bit nervous around this woman, and with nervous came... talking and talking until it was almost nonsense. Perhaps because there were not that many people her age left anymore. People who were born here in Coningsby usually left sooner or later to "reach higher goals". The others... they tended to live a calm and secluded existence. Nicole somehow brought a fresh breeze into the monotony of the librarian's life. There was something inside Waverly that wanted to know more, Nicole seemed like someone who had seen the world and met many people before coming here. Now that Waverly had stopped throwing questions at her, Nicole smiled once again, the smile now reached her eyes too, and she turned around to the bookshelf opposite the one where Waverly stood. 

"You're right. I'm from Canada. Came here a few days ago with some others, we're here to train. Well... to be exact I am a soldier from the Canadian Air Force."   
Waverly blinked twice and watched her taking a book from the shelf. "You're a soldier?" she asked, and could not suppress her surprised undertone. "What, Waverly Earp, does that scare you?", Nicole joked and Waverly swallowed. "Yes... I um... I mean no. It surprises me a bit, to be honest." Nicole lifted her gaze from the book and looked directly at Waverly. "Why are you surprised?" Now that Nicole had focused on her again, Waverly suddenly felt unnecessary pressure to take the ladder back into the other corner of the room, as far away from Nicole as possible, to be able to clear her mind... but that would probably be super rude, right? Instead Waverly turned around, trying to hide her blushing cheeks more successfully. "You just... don't look like a typical soldier to me. No offense."

She shrugged. Though she didn’t see Nicole's direct reaction, the librarian was a bit afraid that she had gone too far with that comment. Once again though, it was the soldier who relaxed the situation with a laugh, "You might not believe it, but they actually pay enough to soldiers these days, that we can afford to buy and wear normal clothes instead of a uniform in our free time. Some things have really changed." Nicole turned the first page of the book she held in her hands, and Waverly got the feeling that Nicole was waiting for the librarian to face her again. She was right. "Some haven’t, though, we still kidnap pretty villagers every now and then!  Sooo... better take care of yourself, Waverly", Nicole added and winked at her. Shaking like a leaf. Waverly felt that wink deep down. 

The dull noise of the church bell marking 3pm found its way into the bookshop and underlined the moment of silence between them. A comfortable and wonderful silence. Not one of those moments where you felt obliged to speak. No, Waverly wished for time to stand still so that she could talk to Nicole a little bit longer, look at her a little bit longer…..

"I'm sorry but I have to close the shop for today. I promised to help a friend out. Spending the afternoon with her old grandmother to make sure she is not getting lost somewhere again, you know?", Waverly explained and felt her heart drop for a second. "Honorable. Well then do me a favor and put this book away for me? I will come back tomorrow and see if it’s really my final choice if that's okay with you?" Nicole gave her another of her bright smiles. Automatically Waverly took the book from her and followed her to the shop's door. "Sure thing, Nicole", she smiled back and felt the weakness in her legs again. 

"See you tomorrow then!" With those words she was left at the doorsill of her bookshop.  
Waverly took a deep breath of the fresh autumn air and went back inside. Only now did she realize which book Nicole had taken from the shelf. It was THAT book. The book Waverly had written herself, but never published. The only place where she sold it was here, under the fake author's name "Gemma Mitchell".  
  
_And that was the exact book the wonderful Nicole had chosen._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely Earpers, Wayhaught-fans and whoever else comes by! 
> 
> I know it took me what felt like years to upload a new chapter and I am very sorry that I made you all wait for so long. 
> 
> Unfortunately our barn burned down 1 month ago and this took me a lot of my time.  
> I did not feel like writing anyways, obviously.
> 
> But there is also a very good message!  
> I found myself a new beta-reader and I am amazed! She will correct my spelling and grammar mistakes before I upload and help me to make it all a bit more fluent for you guys to read! 
> 
> She already corrected both chapters for me and I hope you like where this is going.  
> I am also already working on chapter 3. Stay tuned! 
> 
> x

**Chapter 2 – Waverly Earp**

“What the hell, Babygirl? What’s wrong with you today? You’re so hyper, and don’t tell me it’s because you and Champ have one of your cheesy anniversaries again. 1234 days by your side…“ Wynonna lifted her hands to make imaginary quotation marks in the air, and with that, she wiped away Waverly’s dreamy smile. “Hey Waves, Babygirl. I was joking“, Wynonna added with a guilty look. Waverly could see it in her eyes. Usually Wynonna didn’t care about upsetting other people, but Waverly knew that for her big sister there was a huge difference between other people, and her. Waverly liked that a lot about her. There was a really soft side to Wynonna that no one but Waverly knew.

“No Wynonna. Champ and I don’t have an anniversary. Lately he’s also more into basketball than spending time with me, so…“ Waverly felt Wynonna’s hands on her shoulders as her sister stepped behind her. A little squeeze followed that gesture. “I know you don’t think that there is anyone else in this village for you, but Waverly, you deserve to be treated as the most precious thing, ´cause that’s exactly what you are Babygirl.“ Waverly turned her head to give Wynonna a small but unconvincing smile. It seemed to be enough to wipe away Wynonna’s worries for now as she grabbed her jacket instead of saying anything else. “Heading to work. Take care.“ – “You too“, Waverly answered automatically.

As she cleaned up the kitchen after the small breakfast, the librarian thought over her sister’s words about Champ. Waverly had been his girlfriend for years, since they were in school together. As they grew up, there was never a day Waverly thought she could do better than him. She was okay with what life had given her, and Champ never treated her badly. Was she happy? maybe. Was this everything she could hope for? probably. Marrying Champ, having a child with him, or two, always being the owner of this little bookshop… but also… always stuck in Coningsby.

Waverly grabbed her bag and jacket and left the house, her thoughts suddenly interrupted by the sight of a plane far away in the sky. It drew a line between the clouds and reminded Waverly of a special thing… the Air Force. Nicole.   
Nicole Haught was one of those people who was exactly like the book characters Waverly always admired the most. The adventurous ones who got to see the world. A person like Nicole would never have been stuck in a village like Coningsby. She would have taken the first chance to leave – probably. Waverly sighed. She was not brave enough herself. 

* * *

Around half past two Waverly found herself looking at the clock every few minutes. Would the soldier really return to her bookshop to take a closer look at the range of books?

A quarter to three.  
Waverly stayed at the counter this time. The book she had kept for Nicole was already there, right in front of her. The librarian had picked it up from the small room in the back of the bookshop around an hour ago…  just in case Nicole appeared earlier than the day before.   
5 minutes left until the church bell would ring for 3 pm.   
2 minutes.  
Then the bell of the bookshop’s door made its familiar sound. Waverly found herself smiling as she looked up… but it was not the soldier.  
“Champ, I thought you were busy with training?“ She tried not to sound too disappointed as he walked in, pulled her close and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thought it was about time to spend one of my free afternoons with my beautiful girlfriend“, he answered simply, and handed her flowers she knew he had picked up in the sidestreet so as not to show up empty handed. As she checked the time once again, he placed another kiss on her forehead.   
“That’s really sweet of you, thank you.“ Waverly smiled at him and put one hand on his upper body while he still had his arms around her. “Wow Champ, is that a six pack?“ she asked and laughed at the cute proud look that appeared in his blue eyes. Champ was cute. Waverly still remembered the day she thought that for the first time. Champ with his blonde hair and his baby blue eyes… the way he always played the perfect gentleman or protected her when other pupils called her “weird little Earp“. Yes, Champ had many good qualities.

The bell rang once more. Waverly held her breath. “Sorry to interrupt.“ Nicole’s voice sounded a bit more stressed than the day before. Waverly pulled herself free and turned around. “You didn’t,“ was the only answer she could give. Unlike the day before, Nicole wore her uniform today. Maybe it was something Waverly’s mind made up, but she could swear that Nicole gave Champ a kind of disparaging look. The moment was so short that she was not sure when she thought about it later. As the soldier focused on her and gave her a smile, Waverly returned it immediately.

“Sorry  I’m late but the shift today was a bit longer and I thought I’d better hurry in case you close the shop at 3 again.“ – “No worries, really. I would have waited anyway.“  _Damn, Waverly. That was a bit too obvious now, wasn’t it?_  Champ cleared his throat and brought Waverly right back to reality as she found herself grabbing his hand and forcing herself to smile awkwardly. “Sorry… Champ, this is Nicole Haught. She’s one of the soldiers from Canada who’s staying at the Royal Air Force station for a few months. Nicole… this is Champ Hardy. He’s my… boyfriend.“  Waverly unwillingly flinched as Champ put his arm around her waist. Nicole did not look away. Her brown eyes locked with Waverly’s. They were full of understanding… understanding of what? Waverly dropped her gaze.

At that moment the soldier stepped forward and held out a hand to Champ. He was forced to let go of Waverly to shake it. “Nice to meet you, Champ.“ Waverly watched as they shook hands. It was obvious that Champ was somewhat impressed by the soldiers’ appearance. Waverly saw him looking at Nicole’s uniform as he raised his brows.   
“So, Waverly got herself a best friend – a soldier?“ Champ joked and Waverly walked behind the counter to pick up Nicole’s book. “We only just met yesterday, Champ“, she protested and suddenly did not like the way he tried to take control of the situation. As she placed the flowers on the corner of the counter, Champ shrugged and walked into the back area of the shop. Nicole stepped closer as Waverly handed her the book. “How much do you want?“ the soldier asked, it was followed by a small hand gesture from the librarian. “Nothing. Take this as your welcoming gift.“

With a cute smile on her face that now reached her eyes again, Nicole handed her a piece of paper. Waverly curiously took it as Champ slowly returned from the back area. The piece of paper had Nicole’s name on it and a number. “Maybe you can show me around Coningsby some time“? the soldier added and Waverly nodded. “It would be my pleasure“.

Champ walked over to Waverly and touched her cheek with his fingertips. “Ready with the business stuff?“ The impatience in his words was remarkable. With an apologizing look Waverly shrugged and suppressed a sigh, but Nicole just smiled at her again and formed two simple words with her lips as Champ looked away. –  _Call me._  – Waverly blinked twice and knew that she would not wait for too long.   
She wanted to become braver.

* * *

The following days went by faster than before. Waverly followed her usual routine. Breakfast with Wynonna in the morning, working in the bookshop, and sometimes a few hours watching over old nan Helen. There was only one thing that had changed, one thing Waverly did every now and then. She looked at her phone, typed in Nicole’s number and stared at the phone’s screen until it locked again. This happened a few times a day.  _Don’t be such a coward, Wave. It’s just a short village guide tour. Nothing more_ , and still…

It was Saturday before Waverly finally made the call. Nicole picked the phone up so fast that Waverly didn’t even have time to think about what to say.   
  
“Nicole Haught, hello?“   
Waverly swallowed, desperately trying to sound super calm and relaxed. “Hey there, it’s Waverly.“  
“Waverly! took you long enough” Waverly heard her chuckle and was thankful for the fact that the soldier could not see her rosy cheeks at that moment.   
“Yes, sorry. The bookshop took all my attention and time. Anyways… I’ve been wondering if you are free today? For the little tour through Coningsby? Of course I won’t bore you with historical facts about it.“

Nicole chuckled again and this time Waverly joined her. “Sounds great, Waverly. I’m free today“, she finally said. “When and where?”   
\- “Hmmm. We can start at my bookshop. Let’s say half past two?“ Now that Waverly was able to talk freely again, she took a deep breath. Nicole agreed to the time and location Waverly had given her. “See you later then,“ the soldier added and hung up.

The librarian leaned back in the kitchen chair and stretched her arms as she automatically checked the time. Nearly 12 – two and a half hours left. The clock’s ticking noise took over her thoughts and calmed her down. What was it that made Waverly feel so weird whenever she was around Nicole? Probably the fact that Nicole was so adventurous and Waverly liked that. The freedom in her brown eyes, the many things she had likely experienced that Waverly had just read about … Yes, it was probably understandable that she was so interested in the soldier and her life.

At least that was what Waverly kept telling herself. Her nervousness? It was a simple side-effect of the soldier’s strong appearance. Nothing more. Waverly’s silent thoughts were eventually interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs in the hallway. Wynonna was home.

* * *

As usual Waverly was the first to reach the meeting point. Arriving early, but not too early enough to look weird… that sounded like her. It was hard to find the right balance. She closed her black coat and adjusted her scarf. It was a sunny but cold Saturday. One of those fall days Waverly loved the most. It was that time of the year again when nature painted itself in the beautiful red, orange, yellow and brown colours that looked even more beautiful in the sunlight. The librarian took a seat on the small wooden bench at the corner of the street next to her bookshop, and waved in a friendly fashion as two children rode by on their roller skates.

It was so calm. Only one car, then silence again. Waverly smiled and crossed her legs, leaning back to watch a dove that had found a few crumbs on the sidewalk. It was so peaceful. Everything was in place. After breathing in deeply once more, she closed her eyes. “Thanks to Wynonna“, she said aloud to herself.

“Who is Wynonna?“

Waverly flinched and nearly fell off the bench as Nicole suddenly stood in front of her, a bright smile on her face and two cups in her hands. Waverly knew the cups were from a bakery which was one street away. They had the best hot chocolate in the whole world.

“Oh hello there. Sorry, I was in lost in thought.“ Waverly tapped on the free space next to her on the bench and found herself smiling warmly back at Nicole when she took the hint and sat down.

“No problem“, Nicole said in return and handed her one of the cups. “It’s hot chocolate, my favorite. I’m not really into coffee.” She crossed her legs and gave Waverly an apologetic look. “Hope you haven’t been waiting for too long?“   
_Over half an hour because I was way too early and couldn’t stop myself from showing up 30 minutes before the planned time._  “Not at all,“ Waverly answered instead, and smiled again. Thanks for the hot chocolate.“ The librarian felt smiling was not so hard when it came to conversations with Nicole. Of course Waverly was the kind of person who smiled a lot around everyone anyway, but it was not always a real smile of happiness. Around Nicole it was easier. It was like breathing. Relaxed. “Any time.“ Nicole leaned back and took a sip from her cup.

They sat in silence for a few minutes and again it didn’t feel weird to Waverly at all. It was more as if Nicole had simply added herself to the calming, relaxing atmosphere Waverly had felt a few minutes ago. Nicole did not disturb it with her appearance, she completed it. Waverly turned her head and smiled at Nicole as the soldier closed her eyes and seemed to lose the weight that had been sitting on her shoulders.

“Wynonna is my older sister by the way“, Waverly said eventually. This made Nicole smile shortly, her eyes still closed, before she took another sip of her cup and faced Waverly again. She nodded and gave Waverly a challenging and cheeky look.

“Tell me Miss Earp… where do we go first?“

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught lovers, Earpers & whoever else made it here...  
> You've been waiting and here it finally is... chapter 3.
> 
> Thanks to my lovely beta-reader who worked super fast with this one so that you did not have to wait any longer!  
> For everyone who knows the village Coningsby or started to google it somehow - this fanfics locations are sometimes based on real locations I found online, but sometimes I also add things that are not existent there but I wanted to add them for some reason. So please just know that I have never been in Coningsby so many things are just my imagination.
> 
> This chapter is also the first one where I tried to write Nicole. What is her opinion on Waverly?
> 
> Enjoy reading it and let me know what you think!  
> Should Nicole take the risk? 
> 
> x

**Chapter 3 – Waverly Earp**

  
Over 2 hours, a church, a few little cute spots and several hidden wonders later, Waverly and Nicole were back in front of the bookshop, “Another life“. The time had passed so quickly that Waverly had the feeling it had taken them only 10 minutes to walk around Coningsby. Whilst she had shown the soldier all the remarkable places in the village, and, more importantly, all her own secret little favorite locations like the “Ginger Cow Coffee House“ on Silver Street (Nicole loved the name a lot), or the wooden bridge over the River Bain, Waverly had filled the tour with a few interesting historical facts about how the village was founded, how it got its name …

* * *

  
_A little while before…_

_“See that statue there? I don’t really know who had this brilliant idea but it’s actually a statue that shows Athena. The greek goddess that stood for wisdom and…”  –  Waverly stopped as Nicole turned her head back at her and gave her a knowing smile. “…the art of war?”, the soldier asked, aware of the fact that her answer had been right but Waverly nodded anyway. “Yeah. Are you interested in greek mythology, or is that something you learn when you train to be a soldier?” She caught up with Nicole and saw how she gently traced the statue’s contours with her fingertips. The soldier started to smile again after doing so, though this time her eyes were still focused on the goddess of wisdom. “Interested in the mythology I’d say, but probably unlike you, my knowledge is only based on the books about Percy Jackson. I loved them when I was younger, couldn’t put them away once I started reading.” This made the librarian smile too, before she chuckled. “Me too. Annabeth was my favorite.”_  
  
It was so easy to be with her, Waverly thought before she continued to guide Nicole through the village. There were still a lot of old and traditional things to see, even though Coningsby was not a big village at all. The only area Waverly did not visit was the Royal Air Force base. That was Nicole’s territory after all. If anyone should give a tour there it should be the soldier. Deep down in her soul Waverly hoped that moment would come.

* * *

Not even once had the librarian had the feeling that her short speeches had bored Nicole that day, more like the exact opposite. Whenever she had mentioned a detail of the history, the soldier had wanted to know more. For the first time in her entire life Waverly was really proud of all the knowledge she had when it came to Coningsby. She was proud that she had somehow been able to impress Nicole with all the cultural parts, the old monuments, the details. As the soldier knew a lot about the more military-based history, they had also been able to have a deeper more interesting eye-to-eye conversation than the usual simple explanations Waverly gave everyone else. Instead of just guiding her, Waverly found herself really having fun with Nicole. Something she had not done in a long time – not really.

“I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much in such a short time. You really have a knack for interesting tours here. Thank you, Waves. I enjoyed it a lot.“  
“Any time.“ _Waves. It sounded so soft, when Nicole said it._ Wynonna sometimes used that nickname but it had a completely different effect on her now.   
“I hope you don’t mind me giving you a nickname? It’s sort of my… biggest quirk.” The soldier chuckled and Waverly tilted her head for a second. “Quirk?“ – “Yes. I mean I can’t help it with the long names sometimes.“ As Nicole dropped her gaze and smiled again, Waverly’s throat went really dry for a moment.

“Anyway… I’ve got to go. But I’ll text you, okay? Or come get another title. This Gemma Mitchell author – gosh I love her book! Do you know if she wrote any others?“ The sudden excitement in the soldier’s voice over that certain book made Waverly nervous on the inside. The librarian’s body stiffened a bit and she shook her head. “I think she wrote more but she never published them.“ – “That’s a pity.“ Waverly looked back at Nicole and suppressed a sigh as their eyes locked for a second again before she let her gaze drop. “I guess so.“

Nicole took a step back and gave Waverly another one of those smiles that reached her brown eyes and made the librarian feel warm inside. “Hope to see you soon, Waves. Maybe next time I’ll be your guide and show you the RAF base. The Royal Air Force base I mean.“

Bravery. Be brave. Stay brave. “I’d love that.“  
Nicole had really asked her to go and see the base.  
Bravery started with simple choices. She became brave.

* * *

_“Sometimes it starts with the exchange of just one look. One conversation. Warm feelings, a glow. Smiling. A lot. You start to feel a pull inside, something that is a lot bigger than anything you ever felt before. Something you cannot avoid. Whatever you try – this feeling sends you right back there, towards that person. Towards your fate. Yes, sometimes you find something that isn’t just a coincidence. It is fate. Meant to be. How do you know that? How do you find out who that person is? Risk it. Be brave.”_

“Since when do you write romantic stories? I thought you were more like… a J.K. Rowling number 2 with your love of fantasy novels?” Waverly flinched as Wynonna stepped behind her and finally sat down next to her on the kitchen chair. The librarian closed her laptop with a sigh. “Well… never say never to trying something new, right?” she managed to say. Wynonna’s answer to that was a simple shrug of her shoulders. Waverly got up. “Coffee?” Without waiting for an answer from her older sister she went to the coffee machine and prepared one for the cop. Maybe not only because she wanted to do something nice for her but also to avoid more questions about her new story. Romantic. Waverly swallowed and bit her lip, suddenly feeling a bit more nervous than before. The truth was that she somehow needed to get it all out and Waverly’s easiest way to do so had always been writing it from her soul. The village’s residents knew Waverly Earp as a woman that always knew what to say, how to say it or how to explain things. A woman that had never had problems with friendly conversations – no matter if it was about the weather or something historically complicated. Waverly knew what to say.  
… Still, there were those moments when Waverly did not know. Those rare moments in her life that were full of feelings. Overwhelming feelings.

_And the reason right now is you, Nicole Haught._ The moment Nicole Haught had entered the bookstore for the first time was a moment like that. Waverly didn’t know what had happened that day, but she knew that it had changed her inside, and it was so hard to tell anyone about it, even Wynonna. Waverly was too afraid to admit all this. Whatever it was – Waverly liked Nicole a lot and that was something new for her. A girl? Why now? Why this?

Looking back at her life this had never happened before. Champ had been the only one for her, and she’d thought that she would be with him for the rest of her life. The perfect little family. Growing up in Coningsby, building a life in Coningsby and dying there, too. There was nothing more for her to come, right? What was it that pulled her to Nicole over and over again, especially after such a short time as this?

“Waverly! You spilled all the milk!” The librarian flinched again and came back to reality. She sighed and turned around to clean up the mess as Wynonna walked over and handed her a cloth. Waverly cleaned the spilled milk next to the coffee machine and felt Wynonna’s worried gaze on her once more. “Sorry”, she mumbled and took a step back to make room for her sister.  
“Babygirl, you are working too much. Maybe you should give yourself a break from the bookstore sometimes. You are acting so distracted lately.” – “I don’t need a break, Wynonna”, Waverly answered and left the room, leaving the cop behind, and with her, the need to explain her situation.

* * *

**Royal Air Force – base – late at night – Nicole Haught**

Although it was already deep into the night, the soldier was wide awake and sitting upright in her bed, back leaned against the wall, brown eyes closed. Her thoughts circled around the memories of the day. _Waverly._ She ran her hand through her ginger hair and started to smile. It was nothing new for Nicole to fall for a girl at all, but this librarian… Something about Waverly Earp was different. She made Nicole feel so… special. But special in a way Nicole could not explain. The soldier bit her tongue and opened her eyes, seeing the dark and bare wall of her room.

“Oh Waverly…”, she sighed and closed her eyes again. “This is not working.”

Waverly had this atmosphere around her that pulled Nicole closer to her over and over again. It was something she couldn’t seem to avoid, as if the universe had planned it. Being with the librarian was so easy that for once Nicole let herself fall again. Should she take the risk? Letting herself fall without knowing if she would be caught in the end?  
  
Still, Waverly was not free, and Nicole did not know if the librarian was into girls either. Maybe she had just read the signals wrongly. Maybe Waverly was the kind of woman that was just friendly to everyone, no matter what. It would definitely fit her personality. Being a soldier Nicole had somehow learned not to interpret too much into reactions at all. She had been alone for years – her last relationship back before she joined the army. In the meantime she’d had only a few little flirts, nothing serious. A long distance thing? Nicole did not know if she was the right one for something like that. In her eyes Waverly was not at all though.  
  
_I like you, Waverly_ , she mused. “Maybe in another life…”, she said out loud and turned her head towards the window. _Ironical._ Like the name of Waverly’s bookstore, Nicole found the only solution to her current feelings in this thought. Another life could bring other possibilities. _Not yet. Not now._ The stars were shining bright, something that seemed to be common in Coningsby, but Nicole wasn’t used to that yet. She loved seeing the stars but back where she came from she barely ever had a beautiful and clear night sky like this. She raised her gaze finding the constellations. Her favorite ones were Cassiopeia and Polaris, especially because those two were the ones that helped her navigate best when she got lost.

_Which one would be Waverly’s favorite?_ The image of Waverly Earp flooded her mind once again this night. The blue, somehow enchanting eyes. The careful but honest smile that caused Waverly to have the cutest dimples the soldier had ever seen. The long and wavy light brown hair that framed the fairy-like, beautiful face… The way she dropped her gaze whenever she showed off her knowledge, and the way she laughed when she found herself safe in her surroundings… Yes, Nicole had observed the librarian well on that day, because she could not help but look at Waverly the whole time.

From what Nicole had seen so far maybe Pegasus would be her favorite constellation. The white mythological horse with the wings that stood for freedom, changing bad things into good, causing the stargazer to look forward and let the past go. At least that was what the soldier had always associated with the winged horse.

Even if Waverly never left Coningsby, part of Nicole knew that she would love to travel more. To go on adventures, make her own stories instead of reading ones about other people. She just needed someone to take her hand and get her into that adventure. Someone to protect her, protect the purity of her heart and soul.  
Nicole had the feeling that what fascinated her so much about Waverly was the fact that she was so pure. To the core of her heart she had never experienced bad things in her life and something inside Nicole wanted to make sure that it stayed that way.

“Waverly…”

The name of the little Earp lingered on a while until Nicole finally fell asleep, and even in her dreams, Waverly Earp would not leave her imagination.


End file.
